KR20170142161A - Center-of-gravity moving force device - Google Patents

Abstract

A system for adding power to users. The system includes a user-mounted device including one or more masses, one or more sensors configured to obtain sensor data, and a processor coupled to the one or more sensors. The processor is configured to determine at least one of orientation and position associated with the user-mounted device based on the sensor data. The processor is further configured to calculate a force to be applied to the user via the one or more masses based on at least one of orientation and orientation and position of the force associated with the force event. The processor is further configured to generate a control signal for changing the position of the one or more masses relative to the user-mounted device based on the force.

Description

Center-of-gravity moving force device

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Patent Application No. 14 / 954,597, filed November 30, 2016, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] Various embodiments generally relate to human-machine interfaces, and more particularly, to a center-of-gravity force device.

One problem with many electronic devices is their reliance on traditional output methods. In particular, conventional mobile devices and wearable devices typically rely on visual feedback through the screen and / or audible feedback via one or more speakers to deliver information to the user. For example, mobile phones typically provide navigation commands by displaying a graphical map to a user and supplementing the graphical map with an audible navigation command.

However, while visual and auditory feedback is usually effective in conveying detailed information to the user, in certain situations, the user's visual and / or auditory channels may become information-saturated. In such situations, the user may not be able to effectively receive additional information through his or her visual and / or auditory channels. For example, when the user is interacting via email or text message, or when the user is participating in a voice conversation, the user's visual or auditory channels may receive additional visual or auditory information, such as the visual and / Or it may not be able to receive and process audible navigation commands effectively. As a result, when additional visual or auditory information is presented to the user, the information may be ignored or perceived incorrectly by the user.

Furthermore, in some situations, making the user awkward with additional visual and / or auditory information can disrupt the user and cause potentially dangerous situations. For example, when a user is driving a vehicle or is looking for a walk on the road, asking the user to look down the screen to see a navigation command may cause him / her to drive, walk, To move away from it. Turning such attention away may reduce the ability of a user to safely avoid obstacles in the surrounding environment, potentially jeopardizing the safety of the user and the surrounding environment.

Non-visual and non-auditory techniques for providing information to the user will be useful, as exemplified above.

Embodiments of the present invention provide a method for enforcing a user. The method includes determining an orientation and position associated with the force device based on the sensor data. The method further includes calculating a force to be applied to the user via one or more masses contained in the force device based on the force direction associated with the force event, the orientation, and the position. The method further includes generating a control signal based on the force to change the position of the one or more masses relative to the force device.

Additional embodiments provide, among other things, a system and a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium configured to implement the techniques set forth above.

At least one advantage of the disclosed technique is that information can be provided to the user without overwhelming the user's visual and auditory channels. Thus, the user can receive other types of information simultaneously through his or her visual and / or auditory channels while simultaneously receiving explanations, warnings, and notifications without causing potentially dangerous situations. Further, by applying force to the user in response to the orientation change of the force device, the techniques described in this application can help the user maintain his or her balance and / or posture.

In order that the recited features of the one or more embodiments presented above may be understood in detail, a more particular description of one or more embodiments, briefly summarized above, may be had by reference to certain specific embodiments thereof, . It should be noted, however, that the scope of the various embodiments also encompasses other embodiments, and therefore, the appended drawings illustrate only typical embodiments and are not to be construed as limiting the scope in any way thereby .
1A-1C illustrate a force device for applying a force to a user, in accordance with various embodiments;
Figure 2 illustrates how different forces can be applied to a user through the force device of Figures 1a-1c, in accordance with various embodiments;
FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a computing device that may be implemented with or coupled to the force device of FIGS. 1A-1C, according to various embodiments;
Figures 4A-4C illustrate a force device for applying a force on masses and baffles, in accordance with various embodiments;
Figures 5A and 5B illustrate how different forces can be applied to the user through the force devices of Figures 4A-4C, in accordance with various embodiments;
Figures 6A and 6B illustrate a force device implemented with a pair of headphones, according to various embodiments;
Figures 7A and 7B illustrate a force device for applying force to a user through a fluid mass and reservoirs, in accordance with various embodiments;
8A-8D illustrate techniques for providing navigation commands to a user via a force device, in accordance with various embodiments; And
9 is a flow diagram of method steps for applying a force to a user, in accordance with various embodiments.

In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the invention. It will be apparent, however, to one of ordinary skill in the art that the embodiments of the invention may be practiced without one or more of these specific details.

1A-1C illustrate a force device 100 for applying a force to a user, in accordance with various embodiments. The force device 100 may include, without limitation, one or more masses 110, one or more tracks 112, one or more force control modules 115, and a head support 120. The masses 110 generate force to the user, for example and without limitation, by moving along the tracks 112 to change the center of gravity of the force device 100. [ In some embodiments, the masses 110 apply a force to the user based on force events received and / or generated by the force device 100. For example and without limitation, a force event received by the force device 100 may include a type of force (e.g., linear force, rotational force, etc.) to be applied to the user through the masses 110, , And / or the magnitude of the force to be applied. In addition, the force events may include the position and / or orientation of the force device 100 to be initiated and / or terminated, the duration of time the force is to be applied, and / Can be specified.

Generally, force events are intended to convey various types of information to the user. For example and without limitation, force events may be used to deliver navigation commands to a user, to provide information associated with objects of the environment to the user, and to provide information associated with objects of interest, such as when someone is attempting to contact the user, And may be generated to provide alert information to the user when potentially compromised. Additionally, in some embodiments, force events may provide the user with other types of information, such as subconscious and / or tactile information (e.g., through the user ' s vestibular sense), calibrating his or her balance or posture to the user , And information intended to remove various types of unconscious user actions (e. G., Dysphoria). ≪ RTI ID = 0.0 >

The force control module 115 is configured to receive sensor data, reposition the masses 110, and adjust the overall operation of the force device 100. Generally, the force control module 115 includes actuators (not shown) coupled to the masses 110 and / or tracks 112 to modify the position (s) of the masses 110 relative to the force device 100 114). Changing the position of the masses 110 causes the center of gravity of the force device 100 to change, resulting in a force on the user's head and / or body. The exercise of power to the user can be useful for various purposes.

In some embodiments, a slight force is applied to the user to indicate that the user must look or move in a particular direction, or to turn the user's attention to a particular object or location in the environment. For example, and without limitation, the center of gravity of the force device 100 may be determined according to various embodiments, including how the different forces can be applied to the user through the force device 100 of FIGS. 1A-1C 2 by moving one or more masses 110 toward the right side 130 of the force device 100. As shown in FIG. Such force may be applied to the user to indicate that the user must turn to the right along a particular path to move to a particular destination. In another non-limiting example, the center of gravity of the force device 100 may be altered to exert a force on the user and alert the user to a dangerous situation, such as when the vehicle is approaching the user at high speed from a particular direction. In addition, for example, and without limitation, a series of forces can be applied to the user by repeatedly changing the center of gravity to indicate that the user has misdirected the path or is in a dangerous situation.

In another non-limiting example, when the user is interacting with a virtual reality device, the user may be empowered to simulate certain actions or experiences. In another non-limiting example, a force or force pattern may be used to provide a notification to the user that the user is receiving an incoming call, for example. In addition, more subtle notifications - such as when the user is listening to music through headphones, and when one or more sensors determine that someone is speaking to the user or attempting to attract the user's attention - A light tapping force pattern may be used. As such, the force device 100 may cause alternative forms of feedback, directional information, and notifications to be generated for the user.

In some embodiments, force control module 115 is configured to receive force events from other devices (e.g., a smartphone or mobile computer). Additionally, in some embodiments, the force control module 115 receives sensor data obtained via one or more sensors (not shown in FIGS. 1A-1C), generates force events based on the sensor data, And generates control signals for repositioning one or more mass bodies 110 to apply force. For example, and without limitation, when the force control module 115 receives a force event, the force control module 115 may query one or more sensors and determine the user's current orientation and / or position (e.g., The current orientation / position of the head), the positions of the masses 110 necessary to apply the force specified by the force event can be calculated. The force control module 115 then relocates the masses 110 by activating corresponding actuators 114 along such vector (s) to apply force to the user, if applicable.

When the masses 110 are positioned in the manner shown in Figs. 1A-1C, the center of gravity of the force device 100 may be aligned with the central axis of the user's head and / or body. In this neutral arrangement, when the user is standing or sitting, the force device 100 may not apply any significant directional force to the user. On the other hand, when the masses 110 are positioned asymmetrically (e.g., off the central axis of the user's head and / or body) on the tracks 112 (e.g., as shown in FIG. 2 Similarly, a directional force is applied to the user. For example and without limitation, the force control module 115 may position the mass 110-2 on the track 112 toward the forward portion 134 of the force device 100, It is possible to move the center forward and apply a forward force to the user. In various embodiments, to direct a user to move forward, to direct a user's attention toward an object positioned in front of the user, and / or to force the user's head to be pushed or pulled forward, A forward force can be generated by the device 100. Fig. In addition, the magnitude of the forward force can also be increased by placing the masses 110-1 and / or masses 110-3 toward the front portion 134 of the force device 100. [ In some embodiments, the magnitude of the forward force is such that the distance the user has to move in the forward direction, the importance of the object positioned in front of the user, or an action or experience, such as gravity or other types of acceleration, It can indicate the degree of pulling.

Further, when the force control module 115 positions the mass body 110-2 on the track 112 toward the rear portion 136 of the force device 100, the center of gravity of the force device 100 moves back , The backward force can be applied to the user. In various embodiments, the backward force may be used to direct the user to turn 180 [deg.], To direct the user to turn back, to direct the user's attention toward the object positioned behind the user, and / May be generated by the force device 100 to simulate an action or experience to be pushed back or pulled back. In addition, the magnitude of the backward force can also be increased by placing the masses 110-1 and / or masses 110-3 toward the back 136 of the force device 100. [

In some embodiments, the magnitude of the backward force is determined by the distance the user must travel in the backward direction (e.g., by walking forward 180 degrees), the importance of the object positioned behind the user, To push or pull back. Further, the magnitude of the forward force or backward force must be such that the user must move the size of the movement required to correct his or her posture, such as the user's or her shoulder and / or the like, to properly align the user's spine It can be based on distance to do.

Additionally, when the force control module 115 positions the masses 110-1 and 110-3 toward the left 132 or right 130 of the force device 100, The center of gravity moves left or right, respectively, to cause the user to be tilted to the left or tilted to the right. In various embodiments, a left-leaning force or a right-leaning force may be used to direct the user to move left or right, to direct the user's attention to the user's left or right positioned object, Or may be generated by the force device 100 to simulate an action or experience with which the user's head may be pushed or pulled left or right.

In addition, the magnitude of the left-leaning force or the right-leaning force may be increased by placing the masses 110-1 and / or masses 110-3 respectively toward the leftmost or rightmost portion of the tracks 112 . On the other hand, the magnitude of the left-leaning force or the right-leaning force is reduced by locating the masses 110-1 and / or masses 110-3 toward the center of the force device 100 along the tracks 112 . In some embodiments, the magnitude of the left-leaning force or the right-leaning force is determined by the distance the user must move left or right, the degree to which the user must turn left or right, the importance of the object positioned to the left or right of the user, Experience can indicate how much the user's head is pushed or pulled left or right. Further, the magnitude of the left-leaning force or the right-leaning force may be used to determine the magnitude of the movement required by the user to correct his or her posture, such as the user moving his or her center of gravity to maintain his or her balance It can be based on distance to do.

In some embodiments, one or more masses 110 may be repositioned to exert off-axis forces, such as a force tilted forward to the left, force tilted to the right, tilted to the left, and tilted to the right. For example, and without limitation, a left forward tilted force may be used to position the masses 110-1 and 110-3 together with the masses 110-1 toward the front 134 of the force device 100 1a to Fig. 1c, thereby allowing the center of gravity to move leftward in front of the user. In another non-limiting example, a right tilted force is applied to the masses 110-1 and 110-2 while the masses 110-3 are positioned toward the back 136 of the force device 100 1a to 1c to allow the center of gravity to move back and forth. Such out-of-axis forces can be used to direct a user's attention to a user in a specific orientation with respect to the user, to direct the user to move to a more specific direction (e.g., SE direction, north-northwest direction, NNW direction, Or to simulate an action or experience that the user's head will be pushed or pulled in a specific direction to calibrate the user's posture of learning in a specific direction and / have.

In some embodiments, the force device 100 applies a force having a magnitude that is intended to affect the user ' s head or a larger magnitude that is intended to affect the user ' s total balance, It can be moved in a specific direction. For example, and without limitation, relatively small forces only affect the user's head, while larger forces can affect the user ' s entire body. In the first technique, the user can perceive a slight force on their head and interpret the force as a hint to guide their attention towards a particular direction. In contrast, in the second technique, the user may perceive the force applied to the head instead of being applied to their entire body (e.g., due to the side bending of the neck or vertebrae) Can be interpreted as an instruction to do so.

When force is applied to the user, the force control module 115 can monitor the sensors and adjust the positions of the masses 110 to adjust the center of gravity and continuously apply the desired force to the user, when desired. Then, when the user reaches a desired position and / or orientation, the force control module 115 may return the masses 110 to a neutral position. For example and without limitation, when the user reaches a desired position / orientation, the force control module 115 causes the masses 110 (or both) to align the center of gravity of the force device 100 with the central axis of the user's head and / Can be repositioned so that no force is applied to the user.

Although the force device 100 shown in Figs. 1A-1C and 2 is a head-mounted device, in other embodiments, the force device 100 may be located at other positions on the user. For example and without limitation, the force device 100 may be a shoulder-mounted device that exerts a force on the wearer's body. Additionally, in some embodiments, the force device 100 may be a waist-mounting device or a leg-mounting device that exerts a force on a user's lower body or leg. In yet other embodiments, the force device 100 may be a piece of garment, jewelery, armbands, other types of wearables, handheld devices, pocket sized Devices, and the like. For example, and without limitation, the force device 100 may detect that a user is approaching an intersection and, in response, send one or more masses 110 to the smartphone 110 to direct the user to turn left at the intersection. To a left side of the mobile phone.

Additionally, the plurality of force devices 100 may be operated together to apply forces in a plurality of directions such that wider force directions can be achieved. For example and without limitation, the first force device 100 may provide force along the x-axis on the first body part while the second force device 100 may provide force on the second body part along the y- I follow the power. Moreover, even when implemented along the same axis / axes, multiple force devices 100 can be used to indicate the importance of instructions, alerts, or notifications. For example, and without limitation, a force device 100 integrated with shoulder pads may provide subtle force alerts to a user's shoulder, and a force device 100 integrated with the head-worn device may be attached to the user's head Significant force announcements may be applied, and both force devices 100 may exert strain when notifications are important.

Although the masses 110 shown in FIGS. 1A-1C and 2 are rigid, in other embodiments, the force device 100 may be used to change the center of gravity of the force device 100 to apply force to the user Or any other technically feasible type of mass that can be repositioned for purposes of the present invention. In some embodiments, the force device 100 may include fluid masses such as liquids and / or gases, which move between the tubes and / or reservoirs to change the center of gravity of the force device 100 do. Further, although the masses 110 described in this application are shown as being moved to specific locations on the force device 100 through the tracks 112, in other embodiments, Lt; RTI ID = 0.0 > 100 < / RTI > For example and without limitation, in some embodiments, a larger (e.g., greater than or equal to 4) or less (e.g., 1 or 2) number of masses 110 may be placed in the force device 100 and may optionally be moved to apply a single or cumulative force of various types to the user. Alternative types of masses 110, alternative arrangements of masses 110 on the force device, and examples of alternative techniques for moving masses to change the center of gravity of force device 100 are shown in FIG. 4A ≪ RTI ID = 0.0 > 8d. ≪ / RTI >

In various embodiments, the force device 100 includes one or more sensors that track the position and / or orientation of the force device 100 and / or track various aspects of the environment. The sensor (s) may include, without limitation, global navigation satellite system (GNSS) devices, magnetometers, inertial sensors, gyroscopes, accelerometers, visible light sensors, thermal imaging sensors, Ultrasound sensors, infrared sensors, radar sensors, and / or depth sensors, such as time-of-flight sensors, structured light sensors, and the like. Such sensor (s) may enable the position of the force device 100 to be tracked in absolute coordinates (e.g., GPS coordinates) and / or with respect to objects in the environment.

 In some embodiments, the sensor (s) are disposed in the force control module (s) The data acquired by the sensor (s) may then be used to generate force events within the force device 100, or the sensor data may be transmitted to a separate device for analysis. In the same or other embodiments, one or more of the sensors may be located in an auxiliary device, such as a smart phone, a mobile computer, a wearable device, or the like.

Further, in various embodiments, the force device 100 includes one or more actuators 114 that relocate the masses 110 associated with the force device 100. The actuator (s) 114 may include, without limitation, electronic motors, piezoelectric motors, magnetic actuators, hydraulic actuators, pneumatic actuators, pumps, and the like. For example and without limitation, actuators 114 may be coupled to tracks 112 and may be configured to track the lengths and / or lengths of tracks 112 for repositioning masses 110, Or electronic motors moving along the width. Generally, the actuators 114 allow the center of gravity of the force device 100 to be altered to exert a force on the user.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a computing device 300 that may be implemented with or coupled to the force device 100 of FIGS. 1A-1C, according to various embodiments. As shown, the computing device 300 includes, without limitation, a processing unit 310, input / output (I / O) devices 320, and a memory device 330. The memory device 330 includes a force control application 332 configured to interact with the database 334.

The processing unit 310 may include a central processing unit (CPU), a digital signal processing unit (DSP), and the like. In various embodiments, the processing unit 310 may be configured to determine the position and / or orientation of the masses 110 and / or to determine the position and / or orientation of the force device 100 and / And to analyze sensor data obtained by the one or more sensors to identify the sensor data. In some embodiments, the processing unit 310 may be configured to determine the position and / or orientation of the force device 100 with respect to the ambient environment and / or with the position and / or orientation of the objects of the force device 100 and / Or generate force events based on the force events. For example and without limitation, the processing unit 310 may analyze the sensor data, determine that the force device 100 has a particular orientation and location, and reposition the masses 110, The force control application 332 may be executed to generate a force event that is intended to cause the user to change their orientation and position. The processing unit 310 may control signals that cause the actuators 114 to position the masses 110 to exert a force on the user until the force device 100 reaches a desired orientation and / , Force control application 332).

I / O devices 320 may include input devices, output devices, and devices capable of receiving inputs and providing outputs. For example and without limitation, the I / O devices 320 may include wired and / or wireless communication devices that transmit data to and / or receive data from the sensor (s) included in the force device 100 . In addition, I / O devices 320 may receive power events (e.g., via a network, such as a local area network and / or the Internet) that cause actuators 114 to relocate masses 110 Or more wired or wireless communication devices. The I / O devices 320 may further include actuator controllers, such as a linear actuator controller or a fluid pump controller.

The memory unit 330 may comprise a memory module or a collection of memory modules. The force control application 332 in the memory unit 330 may be implemented by the processing unit 310 to implement the overall functionality of the computing device 300 and thereby adjust the operation of the force device 100 as a whole. have. The database 334 may store such things as digital signal processing algorithms, navigation data, object recognition data, force event data, and the like.

The computing device 300 as a whole may be a microprocessor, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a system-on-chip (SoC), a mobile computing device such as a tablet computer or cell phone, a media player, In some embodiments, the computing device 300 is incorporated into a force control module (s) 115 associated with the force device 100. In general, the computing device 300 may be configured to adjust the overall operation of the force device 100. In other embodiments, the computing device 300 is coupled to the force device 100, but may be separate from it. In such embodiments, the force device 100 may receive data (e. G., Data from the computing device 300) that may be included in a consumer electronic device, such as a smart phone, a portable media player, a personal computer, a wearable device, Power events) or transmit data (e.g., sensor data) therefrom. However, the embodiments disclosed in this application contemplate any technically feasible system configured to implement the function of the force device 100. [

4A-4C illustrate a force device 100 for applying a force on masses 410 and baffles 420, according to various embodiments. When the masses 410 are positioned in the manner shown in Figs. 4A-4C, the center of gravity of the force device 100 may be aligned with the central axis of the user's head and / or body. On the other hand, when the force control module 115 extends the baffle 420 coupled to the mass 410-4 (for example, via a pneumatic actuator) . As a result, a backward force is applied to the user, as shown in Fig. 5A. In addition, the magnitude of the backward force can be adjusted by extending or contracting the baffle 420, thereby increasing or decreasing the distance of the mass 410-4 from the center of the force device 100. Further, a forward force is applied to the user by extending the baffle 420 coupled to the mass 410-3 to move the center of gravity toward the front portion 134 of the force device 100. [ In addition, the magnitude of the forward force can be adjusted by extending or contracting the baffle 420 to increase or decrease the distance from the center of the force device 100 of the mass 410-3.

Additionally, as the force control module 115 extends the baffle 420 coupled to the mass 410-1, the center of gravity is moved toward the right side 130 of the force device 100. [ Thereby, a force tilted to the right is applied to the user, as shown in Fig. 5B. In addition, a left tilted force may be applied to the user by extending and / or expanding the baffle 420 coupled to the mass 410-2 to move the center of gravity toward the left 132 of the force device 100 have. Further, the magnitude of the right tilted force and the left tilted force may be adjusted to increase or decrease, respectively, the distance from the center of the force device 100 of the mass 410-1 and the mass 410-2 Can be adjusted by extending or contracting the baffle 420.

In some embodiments, one or more masses 410 may be repositioned to exert off-axis forces, such as left-leaning forces, right-leaning forces, left-leaning forces, and right-leaning forces. For example, and without limitation, a rightward tilted force is applied to the user by extending the baffle 420 associated with the mass 410-1 while also extending the baffle 420 associated with the mass 410-1, The center of gravity can be moved to the right forwards. In another non-limiting example, a left back tilted force is applied to the user by extending the baffle 420 associated with the mass 410-4 while extending the baffle 420 coupled to the mass 410-2, The center of gravity can be moved back to the left.

6A and 6B illustrate a force device 100 implemented with a pair of headphones, in accordance with various embodiments. As shown, the force device 100 may be a stand alone device, or the force device 100 may be integrated with other devices, such as a pair of headphones 605, a head mounted display, a smart phone, a virtual reality device, and the like. When integrated with the pair of headphones 605, the force device 100 includes one or more masses 614 coupled to the loudspeakers 615, the head support 120, and the head support 120 and / Gt; 610 < / RTI >

6B, when the force control module 115 rotates the mass body 610-2 relative to the hinge 630, a left tilted force is applied to the user to force the center of gravity of the force device 100 Can be moved toward the left side (132). Further, by biasing the mass 610-1 about the hinge 630, a force tilted to the right can be applied to the user to move the center of gravity toward the right side 130 of the force device 100. [ In addition, the magnitude of the left-leaning force and the right-leaning force can be adjusted by rotating the masses 610-2 and 610-1, respectively, toward or away from the center of the force device 100 have.

Figures 7A and 7B illustrate a force device 100 for applying force to a user through a fluid mass 710 and reservoirs 705, according to various embodiments. When the fluid mass 710 is dispensed between the reservoir 705-1 and the reservoir 705-2 in the manner shown in Figure 7a the center of gravity of the force device 100 is centered about the centerline & . 7B, when the majority of the fluid mass 710 is moved through the channels 720 to the reservoir 705-2, the center of gravity is moved to the left 132 of the force device 100, Lt; / RTI > As a result, a left-leaning force is applied to the user. In addition, the magnitude of the force tilted to the left can be adjusted by increasing or decreasing the volume of the fluid mass 710 present in the reservoir 705-2. The right tilted force is applied to the user by moving most of the fluid mass 710 through the channels 720 to the reservoir 705-1 so that the center of gravity is moved to the right 130 of the force device 100 . In addition, the magnitude of the force tilted to the right can be adjusted by increasing or decreasing the volume of the fluid mass 710 present in the reservoir 705-1.

8A-8D illustrate techniques for providing navigation commands to a user via force device 100, in accordance with various embodiments. As described above, the force device 100 may include one or more sensors capable of tracking the position and / or orientation of the force device 100 and / or tracking various aspects of the environment. In some embodiments, the sensors may be used for navigation. For example and without limitation, a user who is walking or jogging can run a navigation application on a smartphone, and a smartphone can be paired with a force device 100. [ Accordingly, when the user needs to move along a certain distance, the force device 100 may be manipulated to force (e.g., tilted to the left and to the right A tilted force).

For example, and without limitation, the force device 100 may monitor the position of the user, and when the user needs to turn to the right, the force device 100 may move the user's head To generate a force tilted to the right to push it to the right. Further, when the user is turning, the sensor (s) may detect changes in the user's position and orientation, and then move the masses (e. G. 110 may be repositioned. Then, after following the correct distance, the force device 100 may return the masses 110 to a neutral position, as shown in FIG. 8D. In addition, when the user arrives at his or her destination, the force device 100 may generate a specific force pattern to indicate that the user has reached his or her destination.

In some embodiments, various types of force devices 100, such as those described above, may be integrated with a safety device, such as a system that identifies potential risks of the environment and issues alerts to alert the user of potential risks have. In such embodiments, force device 100 can analyze the user's perimeter through sensors and detect potential risks. Then, when the force device 100 detects a dangerous situation, the force device 100 may exert a force on the user to turn his or her head against a dangerous situation, such as a car coming out of the driveway.

In another non-limiting example, the force device 100 may include a head-worn surround (e.g., hemispherical) imager that captures 360 ° panoramas around the user, or any other sensor that captures information associated with the user's environment ≪ / RTI > For example, and without limitation, the imager or sensor can identify a bird of the tree located behind the user. The force device 100 may then apply a force (e.g., upper right force) to the user to indicate that the user-bird enthusiast should note his or her gaze to the right-hand side.

In another non-limiting example, force device 100 may be integrated with an augmented reality (AR) head-mounted device (HMD). When the user operates the force device 100 while walking down the street, the HMD can display various AR information associated with objects in the surrounding environment. Then, when the object associated with the AR information is outside the user ' s field of view, the force device 100 may exert a force to direct the user's attention toward the object. For example, and without limitation, the force device 100 may include a GNSS sensor that determines that the user is passing through an apartment building with a notable apartment on the third floor. Correspondingly, the force device 100 may exert a force on the user to direct his or her attention to the apartment so that AR information associated with the apartment may be provided to the user.

In another non-limiting example, the force device 100 may include gyroscopic sensors, accelerometers, and / or imagers to detect when a user is hitting a foot or loses his or her balance have. In such a situation, the force device 100 may apply one or more forces to the user's head or body to prevent the user from falling and / or attempting to correct the user's balance. For example, and without limitation, one or more sensors included in the force device 100 may detect that the user's attitude is outside a critical range (e.g., an angular range). Correspondingly, the force device 100 may apply one or more forces to affect the posture of the user until the posture returns within a critical range. Additionally, force may be exerted on the user's head or body when the force device 100 detects through the one or more sensors that the user is about to strike an object, such as a lounger or fire hydrant.

In some embodiments, force device 100 may provide an alert for subconscious body movements, usually referred to as dyskinesia, being performed by a user. Exotropia may include repetitive movements, postures, or utterances such as body wobbling, toughening of the self, twisting / opening legs, and standing paws. Accordingly, gyroscopic sensors, accelerometers, imagers, and the like can be implemented to detect such operations and to exert a force on the user to focus their attention on the operations. Additionally, the force device 100 may apply forces to compensate for minor movements of the user's head or body that the user wishes to wipe out. In such embodiments, force device 100 may recognize a pattern of unconscious body motion and generate a force pattern having substantially the same size, but opposite phase / direction, to eliminate unwanted body motion patterns.

9 is a flow diagram of method steps for applying a force to a user, in accordance with various embodiments. Although the method steps are described in conjunction with the systems of Figs. 1A-8D, those skilled in the art will appreciate that any system configured to perform the method steps in any order will fall within the scope of the various embodiments.

As shown, the method 900 begins with step 910 in which the force control application 332 receives or generates a force event and processes a force event to determine the magnitude of the force direction and / or force. As described above, forces of various types and sizes can be generated to provide the user with instructions, alerts, notifications, and the like. In some embodiments, the direction of the force represented by the force event may include a direction relative to the user, or the direction of the force may include an absolute direction (e.g., based on geographical base directions).

In step 920, the force control application 332 analyzes the sensor data to determine the orientation and / or position (e.g., relative coordinates or absolute coordinates) of the force device 100. In various embodiments, the orientation and / or position of the force device 100 may indicate how the masses should be repositioned to generate a force having a direction and / or size specified by the force event. Accordingly, at step 930, the force control application 332 determines the direction of the force represented by the force event, the magnitude of the force represented by the force event, the orientation of the force device 100 and / Based on the position of the one or more masses.

Next, at step 940, the force control application 332 determines whether the target orientation or position is specified by a force event. In some embodiments, the target orientation may include a critical range (e.g., an angular range or range of distances) associated with the user's posture, head orientation, body orientation, and the like. Additionally, in some embodiments, the target location may include geographic coordinates. The method 900 may optionally include a control signal for returning one or more masses to neutral positions (e.g., start positions), if no target orientation or target position is specified by the force event. Lt; RTI ID = 0.0 > 980 < / RTI > The method 900 then returns to step 910 where the force control application 332 waits to receive or generate an additional force event.

If, however, at step 940, the target orientation or target position is specified by a force event, the method 900 continues until the force control application 332 detects the orientation and / or position of the force device 100, (950). ≪ / RTI > At step 960, the force control application 332 determines whether the user has accepted the force (s) and / or responded appropriately by determining whether the force device 100 is in the target orientation and / or target position .

If the force control application 332 determines in step 960 that the force device 100 is not in the target orientation and / or the target position, the method 900 may optionally cause the force control application 332 to display The process proceeds to step 970 of repositioning one or more masses based on the orientation of the force, the magnitude of the force represented by the force event, the orientation of the force device 100, and / or the position of the force device 100. The method 900 then returns to step 950 where the force control application 332 analyzes the sensor data to detect the orientation and / or position of the force device 100.

If, however, at step 960, the force control application 332 determines that the force device 100 is in the target orientation and / or target position, the method 900 continues until the force control application 332 determines that the one or more masses are neutral And proceeds to step 980 of selectively generating control signals for returning to the positions. The method 900 then returns to step 910 where the force control application 332 waits to receive or generate an additional force event.

In summary, the force control application receives or generates a force event that indicates the direction of the force and / or the magnitude of the force. The force control application then determines the orientation and / or position of the force device based on the sensor data. The force control determines the force to be applied to the user through one or more masses based on the orientation and / or position of the force device as well as the force event. Next, the force control application generates control signals for repositioning one or more masses to apply an appropriate force to the user.

At least one advantage of the techniques described in this application is that information can be provided to the user without overwhelming the user's visual and auditory channels. Thereby, the user can receive other types of information through his or her visual and / or auditory channels while receiving the description, alerts, and notifications without causing potentially dangerous situations. Further, by applying force to the user in response to the orientation change of the force device, the techniques described in this application can help the user maintain his or her balance and / or posture.

The description of various embodiments is presented for purposes of illustration and is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosed embodiments. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to practitioners of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the described embodiments.

Aspects of the embodiments may be implemented as a system, method, or computer program product. Accordingly, aspects of the present invention may be implemented entirely in a hardware embodiment, entirely in a software embodiment (including firmware, resident software, micro-code, etc.) May take the form of embodiments combining software and hardware aspects that may be referred to. In addition, aspects of the invention may take the form of a computer program product embedded in one or more computer-readable media (s) having computer-readable code embodied therein.

Any combination of one or more computer readable media (s) may be used. The computer-readable medium may be a computer-readable signal medium or a computer-readable storage medium. The computer-readable storage medium may be, for example, but not limited to, an electrical, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, device, or device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. More specific examples (non-exhaustive list) of computer-readable storage media include, but are not limited to: electrical connections with one or more wires, portable computer diskettes, hard disks, random access memory (RAM), read- Readable-only memory (CD-ROM), an optical storage device, a magnetic storage device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. . In the context of this document, a computer-readable storage medium can be any type of medium that can contain or store a program for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device.

Aspects of the present invention are described above with reference to flowcharts and / or block diagrams of methods, apparatus (systems), and computer program products, in accordance with embodiments of the present invention. It will be appreciated that each block of flowcharts and / or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, may be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions may be provided to a processor of a general purpose computer, a dedicated computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus for mass production of a machine, whereby instructions executing via a processor of a computer or other programmable data processing apparatus And / or block diagrams enable the implementation of the functions / acts specific to the block or blocks. Such processors may be, without limitation, general purpose processors, dedicated processors, application-specific processors, or field-programmable processors or gate arrays.

The flowcharts and block diagrams in the figures illustrate the architecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementations of systems, methods, and computer program products in accordance with various embodiments of the present invention. In this regard, each block in the flowchart or block diagrams may represent a module, segment, or portion of code, including one or more executable instructions for implementing the specified logical function (s). It should also be noted that, in some alternative implementations, the functions referred to in the blocks may occur in a different order than those described in the Figures. For example, two blocks shown in succession may in fact be executed substantially concurrently, or the blocks may sometimes be executed in reverse order, depending on the function involved. It will be understood that each block of the block diagrams and / or flowchart illustrations, and combinations of blocks in the block diagrams and / or flowchart illustrations, may be combined with a dedicated hardware-based system It will also be noted that the present invention can be implemented by a < / RTI >

While the foregoing is directed to embodiments of the present invention, other and further embodiments of the invention may be devised without departing from the basic scope thereof, and the scope of the present invention is determined by the claims that follow.

Claims (20)

As a system for applying a force to a user,
A user-mounting device comprising one or more masses;
One or more sensors configured to acquire sensor data; And
A processor coupled to the one or more sensors,
Determine at least one of an orientation and a position associated with the user-mounted device based on the sensor data;
Calculate a force to be applied to the user through the one or more masses based on at least one of the orientation and the orientation of the force associated with the force event; And
And to generate an actuator control signal for changing the position of the at least one mass relative to the user-mounted device based on the calculated force. 3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to generate a second actuator control signal to determine that at least one of the orientation and position has changed, and in response thereto, to reposition the at least one mass relative to the user- The system further comprising: The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to calculate the force to be applied to the user by calculating a center of gravity associated with the at least one mass. The system of claim 1, wherein the user-mounted device further comprises one or more actuators coupled to the processor and configured to reposition the one or more masses relative to the user-mounted device based on the actuator control signal. . 5. The actuator of claim 4, wherein the at least one mass comprises at least one weight, and wherein the user-mounted device further comprises at least one track, and wherein the at least one actuator comprises: Or more of the weight along the at least one track. 5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the at least one mass comprises at least one weight, the user-mounted device further comprises at least one hinge, and wherein the at least one actuator is operatively coupled to the at least one weight To rotate about the at least one hinge. 5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the at least one mass comprises a fluid mass, the user-mounted device further comprises at least one tube, and the at least one actuator is adapted to receive at least a portion of the fluid mass And to move through the one or more tubes. The method of claim 1, wherein the force is calculated based on the orientation associated with the user-mounted device, and wherein the processor is further configured to determine that the user-mounted device has reached a target orientation associated with the force event, And to generate a second actuator control signal for repositioning the one or more masses relative to the user-mounted device. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor comprises at least one of a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receiver, a magnetometer, an accelerometer, and an optical sensor. 17. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, when executed by a processor,
Determining an orientation and position associated with the force device based on the sensor data;
Calculating a force to be applied to the user through one or more masses included in the force device based on the direction of the force associated with the force event, the orientation, and the position; And
Generating an actuator control signal for changing the position of the one or more masses relative to the force device based on the calculated force,
And configured to configure the processor to exert a force on a user by performing the steps of: < Desc / Clms Page number 13 > 11. The method of claim 10, wherein the force event is associated with a navigation command and the processor is further configured to change the position of the one or more masses relative to the force device in response to determining that the user- And to generate the actuator control signal for the actuator. 12. The computer readable medium of claim 11,
Receive a second force event associated with a second navigation command;
Calculate a second force to be applied through the one or more masses based on at least one of a orientation of a second force associated with the second force event and the orientation and the position of the force device; And
Further configured to generate a second actuator control signal for repositioning the one or more masses based on the second force in response to determining that the force device is approaching a second distance crossing point, Computer-readable storage medium. 12. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the force device comprises a head-mount device, and wherein the orientation and position associated with the head-mount device are respectively a head-orientation and a head position, . 11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, further comprising generating the force event by identifying an object in the environment, wherein the object is positioned in the direction of the force on the force device. 11. The method of claim 10, further comprising generating the force event in response to determining that the orientation of the force device is outside a critical range, wherein the force causes the user to return the force device within the critical range Readable < / RTI > storage medium configured to be presented to the user for directing. 16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the sensor data is acquired via an angle sensor, and wherein the threshold range comprises an angular range associated with the user's attitude. 16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the sensor data is obtained via a magnetometer, and wherein the threshold range is associated with a direction towards a destination that the user is looking for. 11. The method of claim 10, further comprising: determining that the orientation has changed based on the sensor data, and in response thereto, repositioning at least one mass based on the updated orientation. Readable storage medium. As a method for applying a force to a user,
Computing a force to be applied to the user through one or more masses included in the user-mounted device based on the direction of the force associated with the force event; And
And generating an actuator control signal for changing the position of the one or more masses relative to the user-mounted device based on the calculated force. 21. The method of claim 19, wherein the force event is associated with a navigation command, and wherein generating the actuator control signal is performed in response to determining that the user-mounted device is approaching a distance crossing point.

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